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Price check -- Runco's LS-3 projector within reach of mere mortals

by Steven Kim posted Sep 24th 2009 at 11:49AM

Runco LightStyle LS-3 projector
We'll admit that sour grapes coming from the direction of our wallets usually make us look right past Runco's offerings. It's great stuff from a good company, but let's just say if you slip the Runco logo into a Rorschach test, we won't come up with "affordable." So in case you missed it in our CEDIA blitz, Runco's LS-3 LightStyle beamer carries a MSRP of $4,995 -- not cheap, but not new car kind of money that we associate with the brand, either. It's a 1080p DLP projector that packs a list of Runco tech like ConstantContrast, Vivix enhancement, Runco image processing, that all together are good for 10,000:1 contrast. If you're fortunate enough to be in the market for something like a JVC projector, consider adding the LS-3 to your audition list and call us over for some popcorn.

Runco shows up at CEDIA with loads of projectors and flat screen in tow

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 11th 2009 at 12:32PM


Following CEDIA tradition, Runco (oh yes, they were actually here) had plenty to show off, with new projectors and LCDs, apparently enough that we needed two separate rooms for the press conference. We switched rooms to experience the company's new QuantumColor LED-lit Q-750i, combining Luminus Platlight technology with its own engineering to create what it says is unsurpassed performance and unrivaled customization. Its showcased a few new color management wrinkles, customers can have a shot at making green grass pop without skewing other elements starting in November for around $15k. The company also had in store new Crystal Portfolio LCDs, some featuring its OPAL technology for outdoor situations, and a new round of LightStyle series projectors, for the kind of folks who only want to spend five or seven grand on a PJ, while the VideoXtreme line falls somewhere between that and the $100k+ crowd. Also mentioned? The company plans to keep selling its plasmas, even though a certain someone (cough, Pio) has exited the market. Peep the read links for all the details and jaw dropping prices.

Read - Runco Unveils the Future of Home Theater Projection (QuantumColor)
Read - Runco Introduces Five New Performance LCD Displays
Read - Runco Reveals Its Most Affordable VideoXtreme Projectors
Read - Runco Sets a Projector Benchmark with its LightStyle Series

Runco making it to CEDIA after all

by Steven Kim posted Aug 5th 2009 at 4:39AM

Runco logoThe CEDIA picture for Runco is finally clear, and we're thankful it's good news for the longstanding high end marque and CEDIA founder. Runco will indeed be at the CEDIA show next month, with more than a dozen new products in the company's booth and two dealer training rooms in play as well. Even though we can only dream of affording Runco gear, it's good to see it will be at the show -- given the nature of its product line, CEDIA really is the best fit. Apparently, the company agrees, and is tailoring its booth activities to address dealer needs. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Runco making it to CEDIA after all

Crestron makes room in its CEDIA booth for Runco, Planar (update: Runco not in Crestron booth, CEDIA plans forthcoming)

by Steven Kim posted Jul 29th 2009 at 6:12PM

Runco's CEDIA 2008 booth
Those shopping for a 100-inch VideoWall or say, a $20,000 projector will be pleased to know that Runco will be at September's CEDIA tradeshow, after all. Although the Planar/Runco presence at the custom-oriented show was in doubt, Crestron made room in its huge CEDIA booth for the brands will be at CEDIA -- which sounds like a good match to us, especially if Runco delivers on its promise to show off a new "benchmark" front projection product. No doubt it'll be something beyond our tax bracket (ditto for the Crestron gear), but we'll try to get a look at what Runco's cooking up when we go through the exhibition hall.

Update: The original source article has been pulled, but a check with Crestron confirms that there is no formal CEDIA collaboration between Crestron and Runco/Planar. For its part, Runco plans to make an official announcement regarding its CEDIA plans in the next few days. Stay tuned!

Tough economy sidelines D&M Holdings, Planar at CEDIA Expo 2009

by Steven Kim posted Jul 4th 2009 at 2:31PM

CEDIA Expo 2009, no D&M, Planar
If you thought the well-to-do crowd wasn't feeling the pinch from the rotten economy, consider this -- D&M is not going to be at CEDIA Expo 2009 in a couple of months. You know, the show that features pricey, high-end custom install toys. Not being able to get our paws on the latest toys from Denon, Marantz, McIntosh, Boston Acoustics, Snell and Escient breaks our hearts, but D&M has decided to commit its resources to dealer training (and promotions, we hope); all the better to drive new customer sales. To be clear, D&M will have a presence at CEDIA, it just won't be on the Expo floor -- meetings will be by appointment only. We're just keeping our fingers crossed that similar measures won't have to be taken at CES in January. Planar (and by association, Runco) may take a similar CEDIA approach, not entirely surprising given its recent performance.

Runco sticking by plasma displays

by Steven Kim posted Apr 28th 2009 at 7:48PM

Runco plasma
With companies heading for the exits at chez plasma, smaller vendors -- most of whom do not have in-house plasma manufacturing -- are left in a precarious position. In what may well be the waning hours for plasma TVs, high-end brand Runco is staying in the game for one last (high margin, we imagine) round. LCDs are catching up to the image quality of even top-tier plasmas, but there's still a performance gap in areas that some consumers value. Somehow we didn't envision Runco outlasting Pioneer in the plasma game, but it's "business as usual" for Runco plasma TVs spanning the 50-inch to 103-inch range; perfect for that "secondary" TV for guests who don't want to watch what's on your $40,000 Runco VideoWall, don't you think?

Continue reading Runco sticking by plasma displays

Planar's fourth quarter sales slip 32-percent

by Steven Kim posted Feb 11th 2009 at 8:45AM

Runco display at CEDIA
Even the high end of home theater gear is feeling the pinch this year. And we don't mean the Kuro kind of high end, we mean the world of high end projector setups that really put the "theater" in "home theater." It's been a couple of years since Planar snatched up Runco in an effort to grab a piece of that rarefied air, and its Q4 2008 sales are down a whopping 32-percent compared to Q4 2007. So much for the safety at the luxe end of the market, eh? Certainly, Planar's nosedive isn't all the fault of Runco, but a look at both the exorbitant price tags on both Runco and Planar gear for specs that aren't leaps and bounds beyond the competition make it hard for anyone to justify. Unless, of course, you've got so much money that $15,000 (and up) projectors are an impulse buy that don't need any justification.

Runco ships $40k 100-inch VideoWall VW-100HD in-wall projection system

by Darren Murph posted Nov 29th 2008 at 10:33PM


Just when we thought everyone was scaling back in order to cater to the poor, cash-strapped consumer dealing in these tough economic times, along comes Runco to help us remember that there's still a market out there for the uber-elite. The outfit's remarkable 100-inch VideoWall VW-100HD 1080p in-wall projection system is shipping just in time for that special someone on your holiday gift list, but you better be expecting something absurdly awesome in return. Not just anyone deserves a $39,995 present, you know. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading Runco ships $40k 100-inch VideoWall VW-100HD in-wall projection system

Runco CEDIA 2008 booth tour

by Darren Murph posted Sep 7th 2008 at 8:53AM Featured Story


Runco's booth at CEDIA this year wasn't nearly as outlandish as SpeakerCraft's, but it definitely had an outdoor vibe to it. Curiously, all of the outfit's newly announced kit wasn't out for viewing, but the flagship 70-inch Crystal Series CX-70DHD (and its external DHD video controller / processor) was hard to miss. Now, if only affording one was as easy as browsing the gallery...

Runco debuts 100-inch VW-100HD in-wall projection video display

by Darren Murph posted Sep 5th 2008 at 6:20PM


While we've seen daylight-friendly front projection screens and all sorts of similar solutions to uncontrolled lighting in PJ-infused rooms, Runco's solution seems superior for those with the requisite coin. The two-piece VideoWall VW-100HD in-wall projection video display includes a lightweight 100-inch screen that can be flush-mounted within a wall alongside a VW-100HD projection system. The self-contained system includes a rear assembly less than 32-inches deep with sloping side panels to help it fit into tight nooks and crannies, and the screen itself reportedly "retains video contrast and brightness even when viewed in high amounts of ambient light." The 1080p beamer includes Runco's SuperOnyx chipset, HDMI / DVI / component / PC / S-Video / composite inputs, an RS-232 control port, Vivix II processing engine and a CinOptx lens system. You know you'd rather drop $39,995 on this rather than pick up a new C350 this November, right?

Runco announces $20,000 VideoXtreme VX-8 projector

by Darren Murph posted Sep 5th 2008 at 6:02PM


The fun has just begun in the Mile High City for Runco, which has followed up its outlandish flat-panel announcement with a replacement to the fabled VX-2 projector. The 3-chip VideoXtreme VX-8 is squarely aimed at those with fat wallets and the word "videophile" stitched into their Ralph Lauren scarfs, evidenced by the superfluous (but very appreciated) video processing capabilities via DHD with Vivix and three SuperOnyx DMDs. Additionally, you'll find the outfit's ConstantContrast tech, which delivers frame-by-frame contrast correction, while the CorrectColor brings "complete color calibration for D65 perfection." For more technobabble on the January-bound unit, hit up the read link -- but before you waste your time, let us remind you that this will cost $19,995.

Runco lets it all hang out, intros seven new 1080p LCDs / plasmas at CEDIA

by Darren Murph posted Sep 5th 2008 at 5:50PM


For the most part, Runco stays pretty quiet in the consumer realm... until CEDIA rolls around. Once again, the high-end AV company is firing on all cylinders in Denver, announcing seven new 1080p LCD / plasma displays including its largest LCD to date, the 70-inch Crystal Series CX-70DHD (pictured). Along with the new panels, the outfit is unveiling its exclusive OPAL (Optical Path Alignment) technology on select models which "delivers extreme glare reduction and enhanced contrast for high ambient light environments." The aforesaid 70-incher (shipping mid-October for $34,995) actually comes bundled with an external DHD video controller / processor, which incorporates Runco's Vivix II tech to "enhance all digital and NTSC content to near high-definition quality." We'll admit, that sounds an awful lot like something Toshiba's got going on just a few booths over, but make of it what you will. For details on the other half dozen sets, hop on past the break.

Continue reading Runco lets it all hang out, intros seven new 1080p LCDs / plasmas at CEDIA

Runco shows off "High Bright" outdoor prototype set

by Darren Murph posted Apr 3rd 2008 at 2:15AM


Since introducing the outdoorsy WP-42 late last year, Runco has apparently been quite pleased with its foray into the wilderness. Now, we're hearing that the company is gearing up for quite the push into said sector. At a recent getaway in Mexico for its top dealers and representatives, the company went so far as to demonstrate an all new prototype simply dubbed "High Bright." As its title implies, the weather-resistant set boasts upwards of 1,100 nits of brightness (compared to around 450 cd/m2 for the typical indoors LCD), and Runco engineers have purportedly figured out a way to not wash out the contrast in the process. No word from down south whether or not this particular unit was headed for retail, but one thing's for certain: Runco's looking at backyard pool areas just as intently as lavish living rooms.

Runco intros ultra-pricey 1080p VX-22i DLP projector

by Darren Murph posted Jan 11th 2008 at 12:34AM


Runco and expensive tend to go hand in hand, so we'd expect nothing less than a five-figure price tag accompanying the firm's new Video Xtreme VX-22i. This 1080p monster features a three-chip DLP design, O-Path technology, CinOptx premium grade lenses, Vivix II video processing, a 4,000:1 contrast ratio, 2,850 ANSI lumens and comes calibrated to ISF standards. As expected, users with a completely stuffed bank account can opt for the CineWide with Autoscope edition ($54,995), but even those who go without the aforementioned option will be forking out $39,995 for the vanilla model. If you've managed to get over the shock, you can place your order now (or pick up a totally more useful BMW / college education / etc.) and expect it to arrive lickety split.

Runco sets up camp with outdoor LCD

by Erik Hanson posted Oct 24th 2007 at 4:32AM

Runco WP-42HD outdoor weatherproof LCDHigh-end manufacturer Runco is headed for the great outdoors with a 42-inch LCD panel that's ruggedized and weatherproofed for use outside the home. The 1366 x 768-native WP-42HD flat panel sports a cabinet design to minimize exposure to the elements, and has a "Winter Mode" to allow it to operate down to -4° F -- low enough to want to watch it through the window instead of beside it. As is usual for Runco, the set includes RS-232 automation, a custom high-gloss bezel, and a $8,995 price tag to match, leaving us to wonder if we can instead pick up eight Vizio sets and just replace one every winter.




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